1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a paint supply apparatus in a rotary painting machine having a number of barrels in which parts to be painted are introduced, with the parts in each barrel being coated with paint of a different color or type.
2. Prior Art
A painting machine of the above-described type generally is used to paint small metal parts such as the slider, top end stop and bottom end stop of a slide fastener, as well as buttons and hooks. The painting process includes introducing the parts into a barrel made of wire mesh, spray-coating the parts with paint ejected from a spray gun, drying the paint coating at room temperature to set the coating, then baking, drying and cooling the coating. A sequence of these steps is repeated a plurality of times, usually four or five. An example of such a painting machine is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-5107 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,111). The disclosed painting apparatus has three radially extending barrels arranged in angularly spaced relation and capable of being rotated about their own axes and revolved around a common central axis. The parts placed in the barrels are capable of being coated with paint of only a single color. When it is desired to change the color of the paint applied by the painting machine, it is necessary to clean the barrels, change the spraying device equipped with the spray gun and adjust both the paint spray pressure and the spraying time. Thus, changing the color of the paint necessitates a time-consuming operation. Though a single painting machine is sufficient when utilized to apply a single color, the application of a plurality of colors requires the installation of an equivalent number of painting machines. The result is a costly set-up requiring a large amount of space.